New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-08
went down from Jerusalem to Jericho some
centuries ago.
In OLD STORY

There would be something almost comic In
the idea Of an Anti-Povcrty Society such as
Henry George and DR.. MoGlynn are trying to
establish, were 1t not apparent that the namc
has been chosen simply to popularize tho fan
tastic and immoral land doctrine which tho
projectors hold. Considering that tho main
object of modern civilization is to solve the
problem Of poverty, and that democratic in
stitutions are all founded upon the principle
the only true one extant-of giving to every
man the fullest opportunities for doing this.
there is moreover kind Of grotesqueness in
the presumption which coolly ignores these
facts and as coolly sets out to begin the whole
work of the world over again from the begin
ming. A course Of history would be an excel
lent prescription for these too selfconfident
reformers. It would make them aware that
there is nothing original in their proceedings
It would teach them that every generation for
MANY ages has produced few enthusiasts who
firmly believed that to them alone the secret
of the universe had been revealed. 1t would
show them that all these enthusiasts had
passed away without affecting the worlds
slow but steady movement.
Anti-Poverty. indeed The idea is at least
as old as the earliest beginnings of civilization
and it has been, and not perhaps for the best
good Of mankind, getting deeper hold of soci-
ety from century to century. And as TO tho
ways Of abolishing poverty, while there have
been plenty Of experiments, some OF them wild
enough, no man has ever discovered any pro-
cess half 80 sure as the practice OF industry
and thrift Work is the condition OF exist
cnce on this earth, and he who does the best
work as rule gets the best pay. But II men
will neither work nor save, no societies, how
ever agreeably named. can teach them to es-
cape poverty. II all the land in the world
was divided equally tomorrow among the
human race, twenty four hours later there
would be landless men once more, and men
holding more land than their neighbors. Pre-
vent the transfer Of land by leg Station and
what follows Simply decline Of productive
industry, that is, diminution of capital, that
is, increase Of poverty. There always has
been, and it may safely be assumed that there
always will be, q certain kind OF people who
will not work or save. There arc those again
who will work but will not save. These two
classes must always be poor. Those who work
and save together. on the other hand. constitute
the genuine Anti Poverty Society and the only
one that can ever amount to anything.
Any teaching which persuades men that they
ought not to depend on their own efforts, In
dustry. self denial and foresight, is pcrncious'
misleading and false. no matter who utters IT,
ANY teaching which proceeds upon gratr'tous'
unprovablc assumptions as to what the Maker
and Ruler Of the Universe intended. Is unset
entific. in the air and not to he regarded serl-
ously. The only evidence we possess as to the
Divine purposes consists in the experience OF
mankind. and II DR.. McGlynn and Henry
George can extract from that experience the
inference that God did not mean poverty 10
exist il can only he said that they possess a
method of ANALYSIS wholly unknown to tire
rest Of the world. The worst aspect OF the
business, however. is its operation as support
however feeble, to that most mischcvous mod
crn tendency, the disposition to seek solutions
of all social and other problems from without
This tendency is breeding up race OF men
who are cternay waiting for help from
somewhere instead Of going to work and
clearing away difficulties for them
selves These people make fetch OF inc
State. and think it "a mere abstracton) can
solve everything, even to the great problem
of poverty, which has it's deepest roots In hu'
man nature 1t is strangely crude attempt
nj the latter end Of the nineteenth century
and its inevitable failure will involve I'M
necessary chagrn and disappointment to simple
souis who cannot distinguish between gush
and gospel